I’ve been asked for a few words regarding our full season order. First, my ever-loving thanks goes out to both Fox and WBTV for making all things possible. Second, big thanks to all of you who agitated on the internet about our future- it’s nice to know you care. Many had us dead and buried, but around here we knew that all futures were open to us. Terminator philosophy includes as one of its primary axioms: There is No Fate but What You Make. We’ve been making Our Own for a while now and we’re just gonna keep doing it until someone stops us. Like our endo brethren, we are damn hard to kill.

Bloggerific Staff Writer (and author of this coming week’s The Tower…) Denise Thé on set on the FIRST day of production, season one. We all stood about watching the first scene being shot for Gnothi Seauton — Sarah throwing Cameron against the front door of their old house: “You told me we’d be safe! Safe! Does that look like safe?…”

Hello T:SCC fans! My name is Denise Thé. I’m the third staff writer on The Sarah Connor Chronicles and I wrote this coming Monday’s episode, The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short. I’m feeling nostalgic today, so please forgive if this blog is overly sentimental, over dramatic, or let’s face it, over written.

It all started June 1st of 2007, that’s when I got the call that I’d gotten the job on Sarah Connor. I had gone to an interview the day before with a churning stomach and sweaty palms. My agents had described Josh Friedman as a crazy genius; they weren’t wrong. My mind reeled as he laid out his vision of the show. I tried not to beg but the only thought screaming in my head was… please, please let me be a part of this.

What I didn’t know at the time was that the date was symbolic and just the beginning in a long line of firsts. You see, this is my first time on a writing staff and The Tower is my first produced episode of T.V. I was so excited on my first day of work that I actually used “jazz hands.” Josh promptly warned me that there would be a limit to the amount of enthusiasm the office could take.

The Tower is the first of our episodes to be directed by a woman – the very talented Tawnia McKiernan. In the episode, Cameron fights a female Terminator – our first female-on-female Terminator fight. It’s a knock down, blow-your-hair back, jab-your-eye out (literally) fight scene. Be sure to watch closely – the arm and leg twists are not special effects! It’s also the first peek at The Turk since Samson and Delilah. The first insight into Weaver’s relationship with her daughter, Savannah. And at long last… the first time we address the mystery of who killed Sarkissian.

Which brings me to the final first – TSCC’s first on-screen love scene. Those of you who have read The Tower’s logline know that “a woman from Derek’s past surprises him in the present.” Now that’s a fine sounding logline. Simple. Straightforward. Not in the least bit confusing. But technically, Derek’s past is the future (at least one version of it). So then would you say that this mystery woman is from the past or the future or both?

Let me be the first to say, time travel confuses the hell out of me (something I neglected to mention in my interview). We’ve had endless mind numbing, headache inducing discussions about time travel in the writer’s room. Luckily, Ash and Zack can patiently talk anyone down from a time-travel ledge.

But like it or not, time travel is very real in the Connor’s world. I for one like it. I like the idea that Sarah and John can jump forward in time – over Sarah’s cancer and toward the birth of Skynet. I like that Derek can jump back in time and see himself and Kyle as young innocents playing baseball. I like the idea that time is flexible - like a limber contortionist in a permanent back bend. These firsts continue to happen over and over again. The first time John learned how to play chess. The first time Derek hit a ball out of the park. The first time Sarah held John as a baby in her arms. And the first time I walked through our office doors and sat down in the writer’s room. I like this idea because there is no real end, only beginnings. Only firsts…

We had a very special surprise guest with an important connection to the Terminator franchise swing by our set today. Here he is posing just minutes ago between Dungeons and Dragons and Goodbye to All That writers Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller. Any guesses?

Big hint: one of our characters is “named” after him in the first season.

Update: Well done, commenters K8ie and Joseph H! For your answer, look no further…

Secrets of the past? Or secrets of the future? Only she knows.

Alabama.com website pronounced today that we “rock,” Crave Online talks to Shirley about man vs. machine, though she talks to io9 about her not-so-secret desire to see some “robot sex.”

Really interesting — VFXWorld delves into our very cool season two visual fx (particularly animating the T-1001). And hey, did you get to vote for Summer in AOL’s poll for “Fall TV’s Sexiest Female Stars” yet?

Sheeeee’s back. Who or what is Catherine Weaver?

All-new: Monday. 8PM/7PMc. Only on FOX.

The wait is almost over. We’re back — and all-new — next Monday night at 8PM with The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short and here’s your first look.

Just a reminder — we’re taking a little baseball-induced break tonight, but we’re back and all new next Monday with a new episode entitled The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short.

Stay tuned here for some fun things to come this week to tide you over…

A slight confession: we’re all about the element of surprise over here at Terminator. We guard the secrets of our series like crypt keepers, hoping to ensure your ultimate enjoyment upon viewing. For example, one of our biggest reveals that we worked so hard to keep secret this season was Shirley Manson’s T-1001, “Catherine Weaver.”

But you guys are crafty. You find our casting “sides” literally minutes after they’re posted. You catch freudian slips in interviews, find script pages or call sheets laying around Los Angeles, stumble upon production in a public location. We don’t underestimate you.

One of the most interesting areas of production involves the casting process. How do we allow our lovely casting folk enough material to find the right actor for the job without revealing too many secrets? It’s a constant push and pull. Sometimes, as was the case with the role of “Riley,” completely fake monologues are written (in her case, unrelated to the character or character’s backstory). Other times we simply make small changes to the script and take out important details. In fact, spoilerphobes, we’ve even gone as far as releasing completely faux script pages under the guise of casting– scenes that don’t exist, characters that are absolutely made up. Just a little insight into another bit of our process.

So as you have your fun searching for everything and anything you can figure out ahead of time, keep in mind that we’re also having our fun trying to detour you. But seriously, more than anything, we’re just glad you’re so excited about the show.